SUV rams governor’s residence on Summit; arrest made at gunpoint

A motorist slammed an SUV into the front gate at the governor’s residence in St. Paul Sunday night and was arrested, according to the State Patrol.

The driver was arrested “and did not enter the grounds,” State Patrol spokesman Lt. Gordon Shank said. No one was injured, he added.

Officials have yet to say whether Gov. Mark Dayton was home at the time. Emergency dispatch audio immediately after the incident revealed that one of two state troopers on the scene along Summit Avenue “was going to check on the governor.”

The patrol has yet to say whether the damaging of the gate by the 1999 Chevy Tahoe, which came to rest inside the stone pillars at roughly a 90-degree angle with the entry, was intentional.

The suspect has yet to be identified.

The governor’s schedule for Monday, released early Sunday night, said he has meetings planned with agency chiefs and staff throughout the day.

There also is a Christmas tree lighting scheduled for Monday at the residence. Officials have yet to say whether the incident will have an effect on the event.

A similar incident occurred in September 2016, when a St. Paul man rammed his car into the front gate. The driver, 42-year-old Wondu Seifu, told troopers at the scene that he wanted to speak with the governor.